aslabchu

Is there anywhere in particular you want to live? Or if you don't do a PhD, where would you want to work? Those are some really solid schools, but they're pretty scattered in terms of geography. Also, don't make the mistake of just following the rankings/prestige. Harvard is probably a no-brainer regardless of your situation, but beyond that it's about fit, location, and specialty. Having the right alumni network/connections in the right location with the right degree and the right specialization is pure gold, and far more valuable than rankings points on a list. Do yourself a favor and take some time to read up on your potential areas of study. When you've figured out what you really want to do, the right school will stand out a lot more. and don't forget to pick a geographic location! Graduating from Berkeley can do a lot for you in California, but not nearly as much in Chicago, despite the fact that Berkeley is much more highly ranked. Schools tend to have the strongest alumni networks in their home states/regions, and that can make a big difference.

I didn't want to clog the forum up with a new post, but this week I got my acceptance from IUB's MPA program, which I'm really excited about (funding information comes in mid-March, though; it'll be tough to wait!). I'd previously gotten one from Evans in Washington, which came with a fair chunk of fellowship money (in-state tuition and a really solid stipend, essentially). I've still got American University in the mix, so those are my big 3. My question is: which would you pick? Let's assume IUB and AU offer something roughly similar, which is a MPA at about 30k across the 2 years. (This seems reasonable, since IUB has a lot of different funding options. I can't speak for AU, though.) I'm looking at public/nonprofit finance and consulting. As far as I can tell, all of these schools are very good in that department. So does anybody have any idea of how to break that tiebreaker? It would be a shame to decide solely based on non-program factors like cost of living or something.

Also, that doesn't always mean there's something you need to do. A school sent me an email saying my application was "incomplete", and I totally flipped out. But it turns out they just meant that they were still compiling it on their end, and weren't finished yet. There was no fire. But I certainly freaked out.

Accepted with 46k in funding about two weeks ago. Really impressed with the program, but I want to hear back from American University and IUB SPEA first. If IUB can match them in terms of tuition price, I think I'd be inclined to go there instead. American is in the mix somewhere; haven't decided yet.

I did a search here, but didn't turn up much. Obviously, there's a US News and World Report ranking, but I've heard those are pretty suspect. I'm looking at the following schools. Are they any good, in terms of non-profit? I've looked at their programs, and they seem very solid by my (admittedly limited) standards. Indiana-I, Indiana-B, Minnesota, University of Washington, Colorado-Denver. I had USC and NYU on the list, but I'm too late to apply. Syracuse was a possibility, but I'm a little weak in quant, so I don't think they'd want me. There are also a bunch of schools like Wisconsin and Michigan, but they seem to be very focused on public policy analysis, and I don't think that's my thing. Question: am I missing any really solid schools for Non-Profit? Please suggest some, as I would like to apply to 2 more programs.

Applying For: MPA/MPP Applying At: an unspecified list of good MPA/MPP schools. Minnesota, USC, Indiana maybe? Those are just a few schools that are still accepting this late in the cycle. Undergrad Institution: Michigan State, University of Michigan satellite school Undergrad GPA: 3.9 in 3 years at UM; 1.8 at Michigan State 7-10 years prior. (More details below.) Undergrad Major: BA in Philosophy GRE: 168 Verbal (98%), 155 Quantitative (60%), 4.5 Writing (80%) Quantitative Skills: I took some Econ and Accounting like 10 years ago. Pretty sure I got 'B's. Work Experience: None of the professional variety. Rec Letters: Should be very good. Philosophy professors who know me and my story quite well. Age: 31 Career Goal: This sounds incredibly vague, but I want to work in non-profits. I'm trying to focus on programs that emphasize non-profit management. Concerns: Low GPA at MSU, somewhat low quant score, lack of experience. GPA details: Have a serious disease, things got bad in my second year of undergrad. Had lots of botched surgeries over 5 years, could barely walk and had serious trouble getting to class—especially in the wintertime. Got a lot of zeroes in a row, result was academic dismissal. Took time off, had a surgery that worked, and got back on the horse at a different school. Did really well, graduated, and that takes us to today.

Long story short, I have a rare disease. I went to a big state school here, had some really serious health problems stemming from that disease, and needed 5+ surgeries and serious rehab over a period of years. During this time, I tried—in vain—to attend school, and I failed miserably. I had a difficult time attending, and I got a ton of zeroes. I was academically dismissed, went somewhere else, and bombed just as badly in the first semester. Then, I took a semester off, had a surgery that finally worked, and I did about 100 credits at the second school, graduating with a 3.9 and all kinds of awards. I'm looking at MPA programs. When i see their GPA requirements, I don't know what to make of them. My "true" cumulative GPA is pretty bad: about a 2.5, but I don't think that tells the story about me, academically. Likewise, a 3.9 doesn't do the trick, either. My question is, how should I view this going forward? Do I have a shot at programs that want a 3.5+, or is my past going to weigh me down? I say this because I'm filling out an application for the University of Minnesota, and they only ask for your cumulative gpa. It made me feel like they might not give me a fair shot based on that initial low number. If it helps, I also have pretty decent GRE scores (168v, 155q), and my letters are going to be good. I'm also confident in my writing ability for personal statements and the like. My resume is not impressive, as I've spent most of my time recovering from surgeries, but I do have some non-professional type work experience. Edit: if it's helpful, the health stuff all happened from about 2005-2010, so it's pretty old now.